UO Interviews: Puppies n' Pints

Apr 18, 2017
Cara Flaherty

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We hung out with the crew behind Puppies n’ Pints, a local community organization that connects rescues with dog lovers in a relaxed setting, in anticipation of our upcoming UO Community Cares + Puppies n' Pints event at Space Ninety 8 on April 25th.

Tell us more about yourselves

Adriana, Michelle and Jordan here. We met during our college years at Fordham University and spent our first two years in Brooklyn living together, drinking beers and watching the Food Network on our couch in Bed-Stuy. We currently work in consulting/media/sustainability and Puppies n’ Pints is our collective side gig.

What made you decide to start Puppies n’ Pints?

Puppies n’ Pints began when, despite her roommates’ objections, Adriana looked into adopting a dog for their apartment...only to be overwhelmed by emotional and logistical difficulties of starting the process from scratch. We realized that we couldn’t be the only New Yorkers who wanted to help the rescue community but didn’t know where to start—so we founded Puppies n’ Pints as a fun, low-pressure opportunity to help the rescue community through fundraising, while dipping our toes into the fostering and adoption processes.

Since then, Puppies n’ Pints has worked with the Brooklyn Brewery, Kenneth Cole, Ladies Get Paid, Be Social Change and others—and now Urban Outfitters Community Cares!—to help New Yorkers connect with man’s best friend and take the first steps towards participating in the rescue community.

What local shelters do you partner with?

We work with as many local no-kill shelters as we can that are committed to building a humane and safe support system for their animals. We’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue, Sugar Mutts, Mr. Bones & Co. and Zani’s Furry Friends to create, promote and execute our events. They often come to the table with better creative ideas than we dream up, and their dogs—the true stars of Puppies n’ Pints—always steal the show.

Have another shelter you’d like to recommend? Send us their details at puppiesnpints@gmail.com

What can people hope to learn at our UOCC + Puppies n’ Pints event this month?

Particularly for New Yorkers, it’s tough to know where to start if you’re interested in adopting or fostering a dog, or even volunteering with a local animal rescue. At the UOCC + Puppies n’ Pints event, we’ll have #realtalk about what it takes to adopt and care for a dog in the city. We’ll also have Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue (and their pups) at the event to share more information about fostering and shelter volunteering, which are intermediate options if you’re not ready to make a long-term adoption commitment.

Last but not least, we’re hoping to provide a great time for anyone who wants to unwind after work, have a beer, and hang out with some dogs. It’s a simple way to get involved in the community, no matter how busy your schedule is.

Do you have any upcoming projects or Puppies n’ Pints events in the near future outside of Space Ninety 8?

On May 21, we’ll be throwing the ultimate puppy beach party in partnership with Coney Island Brewery. We’re also thinking about hosting some Puppies n’ Pints family-friendly parties (with pints of ice cream for our younger audience) this summer. Other big news in the works!

Do you have any favorite local or online resources for people that want to adopt a dog?

Puppies n’ Pints of course! We’d love to connect you to the local shelters we work with, because we fully trust their treatment of dogs throughout the rescue and adoption processes. Feel free to contact the shelters directly via their website if you’re interested in learning more about adoption, fostering or volunteering.

What are some of your favorite dog friendly places in the neighborhood?